Closure for mail-chutes.



PATENT'ED NO'V.' 24, 1903.

J. W. CUTLBR. GLOSURE FOR MAIL UHUTES'.

APPLICATION `ILED JAN. V14, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented November 24, 1903. n

PATENT OFFICE.

CITOSKU RE FOR MAIL-CHUTES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.- 744,724, dated November 24, 1903.. Application led January 14. 1903. Serial No. 139.020. (No model.)

.To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH WARREN CUT- LER, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Closures for Mail-Chutes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and. exact description of the same, reference being had to lhe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to mail-chutes, and has for its object to provide an improved closure for the chute-openings of the various floors of a building in order that access to the chute may be controlled by authorized persons when desired; and it consists in certain improvements in construction and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a mail-chute, showing my improvements, two mailing-openings being shown at different floors, one being open for receiving mail-matter and the other closed and locked. Fig. V2 is a front view of the mail- 4 and 5 are sectional views on the line h b of Fig. 2, showing the lid or door open and closed, respectively. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the door operating and locking device.

Similar reference-numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts.

1 indicates a mail-chute ofthe ordinary construction having the usual glass plates 2 at the front and preferably made in separate sections and extending through the several iioors'of a building and terminating in a suitable box or receptacle at the lower end.

3 indicates the mailing-section, embodying a casing applied to the front of the chute, one being located at each door and through which the mail f matter is passed into the chute, said casing having at its top the aperture 4 and below this an apron or depending plate 5 for preventing mail-matter descending from above catching or being retained.

6 indicates a plate having the iianges 7 at the side and pivoted at 8 in the sides of the casing and at the lower end thereof, the upper end of said plate being benj'J rearwardly to form a closure for the aperture 4 and in the present instance having attached a separate closing-plate 9, which may or may not constitntea sign containing the word Closed and indicating the condition of the chute-aperture. The plate 6 is bent at a slight angle betweenthe pivotal point and the end above, as shown, and is providedwith inwardly-extending lugs or projections 10, preferably stamped out of the metal some distance below the upper end.

1l indicates a crossbar in the rear side of the plate, to which are attached the ends of the springs 12, the lower ends of the latter being connected to suitable studs Ain the casing 3, said springs serving to hold the plate A normally in the open position shownin Fig. 1. 'Other methods of -constructing the door may be readily employed; but one such as I have shown, in which the pivotal point is arranged beneath it, is preferable, as any force offered to the door, such as may be exerted in an attempt to thrust it open, will be borne by the pivots and not by the locking devices.

Journaled at one end in a bearing in the casing is a shaft or arbor 13,-the other end being preferably irregular in cross-section to circling the arbor and arranged between the U thimble and a cam or arm'18 thereon. Y

, 19 indicates a removable key or operatinghandle having a recess adapted to lit the end of the arbor 13 and capable of a movement longitudinally of the arbor to disengage the' thimble from the casing and permit the rotation of the arbor.

` Mounted upon the arbor 13 are the arms or cams 18, preferably two, constructed, as shown, with a rounded portion or end 21, adapted to contact with the rear side of the IOO y the chute, it is only necessary to insert the key 19 to disengage the pin 15 from one of the apertures and then turn the arbor, so that the cam will occupy the position shown in Fig. 5, and then remove the key outwardly, when the spring 17 will again lock the arbor, the upper end of the plate 6 preventing access to the chute-aperture. By applying the key and manipulating the arbor in the opposite direction the aperture will be opened, these operations being repeated when desired.

The projections 10 upon the plate 6 being located at a considerable distance below the aperture 4 will eectually prevent the passage into the chute of papers or letters larger than those for which it is adapted, the serrations more eftectually preventing the lateral movement of a package with a small end or corner, as described more particularly in my previous patent, No. 430,626.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination with a mail-chute having an aperture therein, a movable door for closing the aperture and a spring for operating the door in one direction, of an arbor having a cam cooperating with the door to move it against the spring, a locking device for the arbor and a removable operating-key coperating with the locking device to release the arbor when moved longitudinally thereof.

2. The combination with a mail-chute having a mail-receiving aperture and a door arranged to close the aperture, of a rotary arbor separate from the door and having a cam thereon cooperating with the door to close it when moved in one direction and a locking device for holding the arbor and movable 1ongitudinally thereof to secure and release it.

3. In a mail-chute, the combination with a casing having an aperture, a hinged door Within the casing and adapted to close the aperture, of an arborjournaled in the casing having means cooperating with the door to operate it and a locking device for the arbor movable longitudinally thereof to secure it to the casing.

4. In a mail-chute, the combination with the casing having an aperture and a door for closing it, of the arbor cooperating with the door to close it and having an irregular-shaped operating end, a locking device for the arbor and a removable operating device applicable to the arbor and adapted to coperate with the locking device to release it.

5. The combination with the casing having the aperture and the door for closing it, of the arbor journaled in the casing and coperating with the door to operate it, the locking-collar cooperating with the arbor and casing to secure the former and a removable operating device for the arbor adapted to coperate with the locking-collar to disengage it from the casing.

6. The combination with the casing having the aperture and the door for closing it, of the arbor having a cam thereon cooperating with the door, the collar on the arbor adapted to engage the casing, the spring for moving the collar longitudinally of the arbor and a removable operating device for the arbor adapted to disengage the collar from the casing.

7. The combination with the casing having the aperture, and the door for closing it, of the arbor having the cams engaging the door, the collar in the arbor, aspring for movingit longitudinally ot' the arbor and engaging devices between the collar and casing and the removable operating device for the arbor adapted to engage the collar to release it from the casing.

8. The combination with the casing having the aperture and the door for closing it, of the arbor having the cam for engaging and operating the door and the angular portion, the collar on the angular portion, the spring for operating the collar longitudinally of the arbor, and locking projections between the collar and casing for securing the arbor.

JOSEPH WARREN CUTLER.

Witnesses:

G. WILLARD RICH, ELIZABETH J. PERRY. 

